Sticking in My Craw

This has been sticking in my craw for some time. From kos himself.

He contrasts two completely different answers to the question: Senator do you think that homosexuality is immoral? One answer is from a Democrat and one is from a Republican. This is in light of the position taken by General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who said that he believed that homosexuality is immoral.

The first answer:

"Well I'm going to leave that to others to conclude," [the Senator] said. "I'm very proud of the gays and lesbians I know who perform work that is essential to our country, who want to serve their country and I want make sure they can."

And the second:

I respectfully but strongly disagree with the chairman's view that homosexuality is immoral.

Which was the Democrat and which the Republican?

Of course it turns out that the first answer is Senator Hillary Clinton's and second is Senator John Warner's (R-Va).

On a side note, it never ceases to amaze me that whenever the GOP is ranting about Hollywood's threat to the sanctity of marriage, no one seems to recall that John Warner was once married to Elizabeth Taylor. She was his 2nd marriage (out of 3) and he was her 7th marriage (out of 9). Or that Ronald Reagan was married twice. Sonny Bono 4 times. But I digress.

Anyway, this morning kos pointed out that Senator Obama did scarcely better than Senator Clinton:

On Wednesday, Newsday repeatedly asked Obama if same-sex relationships were immoral.

"I think traditionally the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman has restricted his public comments to military matters," said Obama, leaving Capitol Hill. "That's probably a good tradition to follow."

He turned the conversation to opposition to the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy: "I think the question here is whether somebody is willing to sacrifice for their country."

Later, an Obama spokesman said the senator, in fact, disagrees with Pace.

The article kos linked to for the Obama "sequence" does point this out:

That sequence was remarkably similar to Clinton's responses Tuesday. When an ABC reporter asked her about the issue, she replied, "Well, I am going to leave that to others to conclude."

Later, a Clinton spokesman said the senator, in fact, also disagrees with Pace.

Let me go on record, this is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

Same-sex relationships are not immoral.

Do you know what is immoral? Cheating on your spouse, that's immoral. Stealing food from starving people, that's immoral. Invading a sovereign country under false pretenses and starting a war that's killed thousands of Americans then humiliating the wounded from that war when they return home for medical attention, that's immoral. (Yea, I went there - what of it?)

But Jill Sobule kissing a girl? C'mon.

Clinton Update: Senator Clinton clarified things with this statement today.

I have heard from many of my friends in the gay community that my response yesterday to a question about homosexuality being immoral sounded evasive. My intention was to focus the conversation on the failed don’t ask, don’t tell policy. I should have echoed my colleague Senator John Warner’s statement forcefully stating that homosexuality is not immoral because that is what I believe.

Obama Update: Senator Obama clarified things today as well.

As the New York Times reported today, I do not agree with General Pace that homosexuality is immoral. Attempts to divide people like this have consumed too much of our politics over the past six years.